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Posted in: Games, Indie Games, Video Games | Tagged: Independent Games Festival, Independent Games Festival Awards
Independent Games Festival Announces 2026 Award Nominees
The Independent Games Festival has announced the nominees for the 2026 Awards, set to take place during GDC 2026 in March
Article Summary
- The Independent Games Festival has revealed its nominees for the 2026 Awards, set for March at GDC.
- Top indie games like Baby Steps, Blippo+, and Titanium Court lead in multiple categories this year.
- Categories include Excellence in Audio, Design, Visual Arts, Narrative, and the Seumas McNally Grand Prize.
- Student Game and Nuovo Award finalists highlight rising talent and experimental innovations in indie games.
Organizers for the GDC Festival of Gaming revealed the finalists for the 28th annual Independent Games Festival Awards, with the ceremony set to take place this March. Several indie titles have been chosen across multiple categories, as we have the full run of finalists here along with honorable mentions. The ceremony will take place on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at 6:30pm PT at the Moscone Center North Hall in San Francisco.
Independent Games Festival Awards – 2026 Nominees
Best Student Game
- BubbleBeast DigiDungeon (EchoLane)
- Kiloton (Jack Morehart)
- Poco (Whalefall, Micah Boursier)
- Prší (Herdek)
- Sip Fisher (Syphon Software)
- SPRKLS.exe (PesiiDom)
Honorable Mentions: Myth of Lumi (Luminara Games, USC Games), Candellum (ISART DIGITAL), Summit Drive (Luke Kim), Grindset T.V. (Michael Overton Brown)
Excellence in Audio
- Baby Steps (Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy, Devolver Digital)
- BALL x PIT (Kenny Sun & Friends, Devolver Digital)
- Blippo+ (YACHT, Telefantasy Studios, Noble Robot, Panic)
- Eclipsium (Housefire, CRITICAL REFLEX)
- Morsels (Furcula, Annapurna Interactive)
- Wheel World (Messhof, Annapurna Interactive)
Honorable Mentions: The Drifter (Powerhoof), Angeline Era (Analgesic Productions), Skate Story (Sam Eng, Devolver Digital), Demonschool (Necrosoft Games, Ysbryd Games), Skin Deep (Blendo Games, Annapurna Interactive)
Excellence in Design
- Angeline Era (Analgesic Productions)
- Baby Steps (Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy, Devolver Digital)
- Öoo (NamaTakahashi, tiny cactus studio, Tsuyomi)
- Skin Deep (Blendo Games, Annapurna Interactive)
- Titanium Court (AP Thomson, Fellow Traveller)
- Time Flies (Playables, Panic)
Honorable Mentions: Strange Jigsaws (FLEB), Below The Crown (Misfits Attic, Shochiku), Is This Seat Taken? (Poti Poti Studio, Wholesome Games Presents), Henry Halfhead (Lululu Entertainment, popagenda), Type Help (William Rous)
Excellence in Narrative
- Baby Steps (Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy, Devolver Digital)
- Perfect Tides: Station to Station (Three Bees)
- Promise Mascot Agency (Kaizen Game Works)
- Titanium Court (AP Thomson, Fellow Traveller)
- Type Help (William Rous)
- Wednesdays (The Pixel Hunt, ARTE France)
Honorable Mentions: Blippo+ (YACHT, Telefantasy Studios, Noble Robot, Panic), HORSES (Andrea Lucco Borlera, Santa Ragione), The Roottrees Are Dead (Evil Trout Inc.), Sorry We're Closed (à la mode games, Akupara Games)
Excellence in Visual Arts
- Blippo+ (YACHT, Telefantasy Studios, Noble Robot, Panic)
- CARIMARA: Beneath the Forlorn Limbs (Bastinus Rex, CRITICAL REFLEX)
- Eclipsium (Housefire, CRITICAL REFLEX)
- Loco Motive (Robust Games, Chucklefish)
- Morsels (Furcula, Annapurna Interactive)
- Skate Story (Sam Eng, Devolver Digital)
Honorable Mentions: Sol Cesto (Antoine Druaux, Géraud Zucchini, Chariospirale, Goblinz Publishing), Is This Seat Taken? (Poti Poti Studio, Wholesome Games Presents), The Drifter (Powerhoof), Demonschool (Necrosoft Games, Ysbryd Games), Henry Halfhead (Lululu Entertainment, popagenda), PBJ – The Musical (kamibox)
Nuovo Award
- Baby Steps (Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy, Devolver Digital)
- Blippo+ (YACHT, Telefantasy Studios, Noble Robot, Panic)
- HORSES (Andrea Lucco Borlera, Santa Ragione)
- Mini Mini Golf Golf (Three More Years)
- Plum Road Tea Dream (Reveal Game Studio)
- Titanium Court (AP Thomson, Fellow Traveller)
- kevin's PLAYING in berlin (Kevin Du)
- Wednesdays (The Pixel Hunt, ARTE France)
Honorable Mentions: The End of Gameplay (droqen), No Players Online (Beeswax Games, Black Lantern Collective), The House Dreams Along With Them (Jeffrey Nordin), Type Help (William Rous), _ΩMEGA_POINT (cathroon), Dreamcore (Montraluz, Tlön Industries), Threshold (Julien Eveillé, CRITICAL REFLEX)
Seumas McNally Grand Prize
- Baby Steps (Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy, Devolver Digital)
- Angeline Era (Analgesic Productions)
- Blippo+ (YACHT, Telefantasy Studios, Noble Robot, Panic)
- HORSES (Andrea Lucco Borlera, Santa Ragione)
- Titanium Court (AP Thomson, Fellow Traveller)
- Perfect Tides: Station to Station (Three Bees)
Honorable Mentions: Eclipsium (Housefire, CRITICAL REFLEX), Time Flies (Playables, Panic), Skate Story (Sam Eng, Devolver Digital), Skin Deep (Blendo Games, Annapurna Interactive), BALL X PIT (Kenny Sun & Friends, Devolver Digital), Demonschool (Necrosoft Games, Ysbryd Games), The Drifter (Powerhoof)
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